Denver-headquartered Mercer Advisors, a national registered investment advisor (RIA), has been one of the largest acquirers of wealth management firms in the North American market.

Despite the industry-wide slowdown, Mercer Advisors is continuing its run of M&A transactions by adding $1.675 billion in client assets through two new acquisitions in October. It has acquired Minneapolis-based Waypoint Capital Advisors, an investment advisory and financial planning firm, as well as Chapel & Collins, an RIA based in Fort Collins, Colorado.

These acquisitions, which have expanded the firm’s assets under management past $66 billion, also enhance its presence in multiple markets, it said in a statement. The financial sizes of the transaction weren't disclosed.

The latest purchases continue a run of acquisitions by Mercer. In October, it acquired Kiely Wealth Advisory Group of North Carolina and in March, it acquired MDK Private Wealth Management. This is despite the industry M&A slow-down in 2024. Fidelity’s September 2024 report shows 155 deals through September, an 11 per cent drop from 174 in the same period last year. See more commentary here and here.

Waypoint
Waypoint manages nearly $1 billion in client assets for ultra-high net worth individuals and families across the US. Waypoint will expand services to UHNW clients and multigenerational families by tapping into Mercer Advisors' specialists and capabilities in these areas. 

The acquisition of Waypoint also bolsters Mercer Advisors’ UHNW practices, Mercer said, such as access to differentiated private investments, dedicated tax, estate, and investment strategists and more. 

“Partnering with Mercer Advisors for our next phase of growth was the clear choice. We have the shared vision of providing clients with personalized fiduciary financial advice that not only helps them execute their financial plans, but also fulfills their life plans,” said Jon Kennedy, CEO and managing partner at Waypoint.

“Waypoint is a terrific complement to Mercer Advisors and will deepen the depth and breadth of our teams focused on serving multi-family offices and ultra-high net worth families,” added Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors. “They have built a team with deep expertise managing, coordinating and solving the unique needs of generationally wealthy families. Importantly, they do so in a way that aligns the firm to act in the best interest of their clients.” 

Chapel & Collins
Mercer has also acquired Chapel & Collins which manages about $675 million for more than 500 individuals and families. Chapel & Collins specializes in serving business owners, retirees and pre-retirees, in addition to advising corporate retirement plans and providing institutional consulting services. The addition of Chapel & Collins pushes Mercer Advisors’ assets under management in Colorado to nearly $5 billion across its seven offices and over 150 employees in the Greater Denver Area. 

Chapel & Collins offers in-depth financial planning to address the management, preservation and transfer of multigenerational wealth. The firm provides a range of services catering to high net worth investors, including estate, charitable, giving and trust planning, alternative investments, tax planning and more. Founding partner Dennis Collins sought out Mercer Advisors for its extensive resources, specialized services and operational support.  

For Mercer Advisors, Chapel & Collins brings additional financial planning depth and wealth advisor capacity to the region. Since relocating its headquarters to Denver in 2017, Mercer Advisors has grown to serve more than 2,200 families in the Denver area.

“Growing our footprint in Greater Denver and Fort Collins helps us deepen our roots in one of our key markets,” Welling said. “By extending our integrated wealth management experience to more families in the Denver area, we’re able to help amplify and simplify their financial lives. In doing so, we can make a meaningful impact on these vibrant local communities.”

Mercer Advisors operates nationally through 80 locations across the country, managing over $66 billion in client assets.